Kimmich rejects comparisons with Lahm

Moscow, June 16: German defender Joshua Kimmich has said he doesn’t compare himself to the man who played his position in the Germany squad that won the 2014 World Cup, Philipp Lahm.

“I am 23 years old so I cannot match him. I lack the experience and I don’t try to copy him. I want to be Joshua Kimmich and not Philipp Lahm 2.0,” the incumbent right back for the Mannschaft told reporters in Moscow, where Germany are preparing for their 2018 World Cup opener against Mexico, reports Efe.

Kimmich, who also succeeded Lahm at Bayern Munich, was playing for a second-division club when Germany hoisted the World Cup four years ago in Brazil.

Since being called up to the national team in 2016, Kimmich has played 29 matches, including the 10 European qualifiers.

“Philipp Lahm left his stamp on that position for 15 years and when he retired he was captain of Germany and Bayern Munich,” Kimmich said on Friday.

Kimmich said he was looking forward to the start of Germany’s bid to win the World Cup again.

“In every game I want to perform well, not for me but for the team. We want to have a good start and win this game against Mexico and then look ahead to the next,” he said.

The defender was full of praise for a relatively recent addition to the squad, 22-year-old forward Timo Werner, who scored 21 goals last season for RB Leipzig. “With his speed and definition, he is a lethal weapon,” Kimmich said of Werner. IANS